After Grandmother’s grand ending to her story, Fellen and I were directed to sit on the edge of the platform so that everyone could look and remember that the goddess helped those who proved themselves worthy. I hated it. I never knew what to do when I was the center of attention and feeling queasy uncertainty always put me in a foul mood. Besides I caught myself scanning the crowd for the reactions of a select number of people—people whose opinions no longer mattered in the slightest. I switched my attention to looking for Rawley and found her standing proud in a group of lone huntresses. Nole was there as well, giving Fellen an appraising look. I glanced at Fellen too—just in time to see her stare down a handful of kids from our tribe. With her head held high and a smug smile still on her lips, she got them to break and do their best to disappear into the crowd in less than ten seconds. Pride flickered in my chest at her accomplishment, but I looked back to the crowd before she could see it. I had to be careful not to let her closer than she already was.
Lines of people were slowly circulating past the cook fires in the hall, collecting their portion of the celebration’s feast before finding a place to settle down and eat. The smells of roasting russet backed boar, thick acorn bread, and sweet snow berry sauce filled the air. I was used to waiting for my meals, but after our time in Flickermark it was tempting to follow the delicious smells and get the food as soon as possible. We had to wait to eat until Grandmother gave us permission to leave the stage, though. For now we were reminders of the goddess--not hungry children.
It felt like a whole week passed of stares and tempting food before Old Lily came and got us. She brought us back to where we had been waiting to go on the stage earlier and told us to stay put before bustling away again. The Grandmothers and their Echoes sat a little bit away on thick cushions as a handful of men brought them their meal—an honor always given to them after a performance. Old Lily intercepted one of the servers and he promptly handed her the two bowls he was carrying. She returned to us with them.
“Your duties for tonight are over.” She smiled as we both relaxed in relief. “Though I’m sure there will be those who wish to speak with or look at you. Sister’s story and your marks have certainly caused a stir.” She offered the bowls to us. “You can take these and go eat with who you chose.”
We took them and Fellen asked, “Is there somewhere we can eat without everyone watching us?”
Old Lily’s smile widened. “I thought you might ask that. Follow me.”
We walked along the wall to the alcove closest to the stage and, irritatingly, even that was enough to still cause my legs to feel weak and tired. Old Lily brushed aside the alcove’s covering. It was full of organized piles of storage sacks filled with dried food for the cold season as well as piles of fur blankets and even wood. Cutting down trees might be forbidden, but bushes and broken branches made the piles of firewood instead.
In the middle of the stored items the open space for walking had been widened into a cozy area big enough for two people to sit. A glow stone was placed in the center of the area with two cushions placed on either side of it. Personal use of a glow stone was an extravagant luxury as the cushions were one of privilege. While everyone had at least a couple cushions to sit on in their tent, it was odd to take the cushions out of the tent, so nearly everyone in the hall sat on the floor. Sitting on one in public was a silent declaration that you had the ability to sit and relax as long as you wanted without worrying about anything else.
Old Lily gestured for us to go inside and we listened, a little awed that the space had been prepared for us. “Enjoy your meal,” she said, before stepping back and letting the covering fall back into place.
I took the cushion on the left while Fellen sat on the right and waited for her to speak as I started to eat. I could tell she hadn’t just wanted to get a reprieve from the watching eyes.
Fellen ate a bite. And then another before setting the bowl aside. Even if I hadn’t already realized something was wrong earlier, it was glaringly obvious then. She might have a small appetite normally, but having no desire to eat feast food? That was highly unusual.
She sucked in a sharp breath before meeting my gaze. “Ma’s been overprotective since we got back. She used to fret about me getting injured—that’s why it took a lot of convincing for her to let me become a huntress apprentice—but now she acts like I’m going to disappear if I go anywhere without her.” Her eyebrows pressed together in annoyance. “She doesn’t want me to see you anymore. She thinks you’re dangerous.”
I couldn’t really deny that. Even if she had deserved it at the time, I had made her sick and then punched her during the first couple times we met. Not that Fellen knew about that first instance.
Fellen crossed her arms as characteristic mulishness settled over her features. “She thinks you put the idea of becoming a Realmwalker in my head.” The need to argue that she shouldn’t do that rose up in my throat, but she continued on before I could get a word in. “Which is stupid, of course. That was my decision, fair and square.” Fellen’s chin rose. “I’m not going to listen to her. You finally admitted to being my rival—I’m not going to let that go so quick. I have too many competitions I want to beat you in.”
But she would go. I knew how limiting a watchful mother could be. A chill swept down over my scalp and back. Fellen would be gone sooner than even I had thought. I had hoped—but that didn’t matter now. And it had been a foolish thing to do regardless.
Fellen trapped in a tent.
The thought had an untenable quality to it.
But even if she did manage to sneak out there would be punishments when she returned. Her mother might have only denied her meals in the past, but desperation might push her to subtler and worse punishments.
My bowl slipped from my fingers as my breathing quickened. Luckily, it didn’t have far to fall and only wobbled for a few moments before staying upright.
Fellen’s voice sounded distant as her eyes flared with concern. “Gimley? Are you alright?”
Trapped in a tent.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Even when the person doing the trapping wasn’t there. Sometimes even when I was outside the tent but still with her. Only rarely had the appeal of going outside had been worthy it.
There were subtler punishments.
Forcing me to go over my escape plan and criticizing every step for its desperation, its simplicity, its foolishness. Painstakingly, spitefully, going over the difference between smart and clever, and how foolhardy and difficult the latter was. Lavishing extra love on the twins while lauding them as good children who listened, not their shameful, difficult sister, while I watched. Withholding teaching the healer’s craft because why should she bother wasting time on someone who would rather be lazy and undisciplined on a hill somewhere? Tribe members watching in distrust and avoiding me as I walked by, murmuring to each other about that ungrateful healer’s daughter.
“Gimley?”
I gritted my teeth and pulled myself out of the memories. It felt like it took a small eternity to push them down far enough that I could ignore them to focus on Fellen. She had moved so that she knelt on my left, hand hovering in the air over my shoulder.
She pulled her hand back. “What happened? Was it like before? In the thin ravines?” She swallowed before gathering herself again. “Was it something I said?”
For some stupid reason I felt like crying, but no tears gathered. “Similar.” I looked away to the floor. “You don’t need to sneak away for my sake. It’s not worth it.”
A heartbeat of silence and then—
“How dare you.” Unexpected, strangled outrage coated Fellen’s voice. “I don’t know what you just remembered, but you better take back what you just said and stop making everything about you.”
“I don’t—”
“I wouldn’t be getting away just for you. I would need break from Ma and I can handle myself. Besides, she needs to understand that even if I leave her sight I’ll return later, or she’ll start to interfere with training.” She paused before demanding, “Do you want me to leave you alone?”
It’d be easier. But even as I thought that, I couldn’t stop painful slivers of fear and denial from piercing my heart. Still, I opened up my mouth to lie. “Yes.”
Her hands clenched as her gaze bore into me. “That’s a lie. You pressed your lips together for a moment before you spoke. So take that back, too.”
I became overly conscious of my mouth as I tried to lie a second time but Fellen cut me off again. “I already know you don’t really want to get rid of me. Just take back what you said.”
I faltered. “It’d be easier…”
She rolled her eyes. “How would not seeing my only friend be easier?”
I knew the answer to this one. “We’re rivals.”
Fellen gave me look that said I was being dense. “Yeah, and rivals are a special type of friend.”
That was when I really looked at her and realized that she would have a counter for everything I said. The mulish set to her jaw was enough evidence for that, as was the concern still hovering behind her frustrated anger. A sense of defeat washed over me but, for once, it wasn’t soul wrenching and terrible.
“Why do you have to be such a burr?”
“Do you take back what you said?”
I sighed. “Yes.”
“Good.” She relaxed back onto her heels. “I told you that I wouldn’t be easy to get rid of. I’m not going to be the person who just gives up anymore.”
I couldn’t help but pushing her one more time to convince myself of her resolve. “We’ll have to go our own separate ways eventually.”
Fellen gave me a baleful look. “If you don’t stop trying to push me away, I’m going to hug you.” She continued after I looked appropriately regretful. “Eventually you’ll go to the Seedling Palace and I’ll leave to go to the next trial, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see each other again or that we have to stop being rivals now.”
“Your mother doesn’t want us to be.” It was only after I was reflexively contrary again that I realized what I’d done.
Fellen grinned. “You asked for it.”
And then she swept in and wrapped me in a tight hug. I sat stock still, not sure what to do even if she hadn’t trapped my arms against my body.
Before she pulled back she whispered, “Remember this instead of whatever your mother did next time.”
I couldn’t think of anything to say as she made her way back to her cushion and picked up her bowl before starting to eat. Instead, I mirrored her and finished eating my food as well.
A while later a whistle sounded from outside the alcove. I recognized it and whistled back to let Rawley know she could enter. She did, with Nole on her heels.
She smiled when she saw Fellen and I sitting together. “Congratulations on becoming the focus of a Grandmother’s Tale. They’re starting to make snow art outside, if you’re interested. Dancing should also start soon.”
Fellen and I shared a look. Neither of us really wanted to deal with being stared at more, but snow art was difficult to pass up. I had never really participated in the dances—though watching them could be fun—and I rather do something I could participate in.
Fellen answered her. “We’ll go do snow art.”
Our mentors helped us drop off our bowls by the cooking fires before we bundled up in our cloaks and gloves and headed outside. The sky was a beautiful blaze of orange and yellow as the sun set over the west mountains. Families, friends, and couples were all spread out over the broad area in front of the meeting hall using their hands or sticks to draw images in the snow. Some kept their art flat while others packed snow together to create different images. I saw a group of huntresses making a rough map of the valley, complete with rising mountains and a skinny trench dug into the snow for the river. A family was creating snow people in their likeness at the insistence of the eldest daughter. A couple was holding hands as they drew a complex pattern in the snow.
Rawley and Nole helped Fellen and I to a clear spot. As we walked past people stopped and turned to look, but no one approached. That would be saved for later, when those who were curious and brave enough could do it a little more privately and under the pretense of doing something else.
Nole gestured to the undisturbed snow. “Any ideas?”
“A tent. We can roll a ball or build a mound and then dig out the inside.” Fellen looked very proud of herself.
Nole’s eyebrows rose. “Feeling confident?”
In answer Fellen started to push snow together. We decided to make a mound instead of rolling a ball because it seemed more likely to stay together and Fellen and I didn’t have the walking strength to make a ball big enough to dig the middle out. As it was, Rawley and Nole did most of the heavy lifting. Crest, Keili and Veris wandered out of the meeting hall when we were still building up the mound of snow as well and came over to help. Apparently, they were taking a break from dancing. There was some awkwardness when they first arrived now that they knew the meaning of the chin mark, but after a look from Rawley the three offered quick congratulations before acting like nothing changed. Namely, that meant they interacted with Rawley and Nole more than Fellen and I, but I liked it better that way, anyways.
The snow tent was an almost complete success. We managed to dig out the middle big enough that Fellen and I could both sit inside, but then we got ambitious and tried to make it bigger. That’s when part of ceiling collapsed. The sunlight was almost gone by then, so instead of fixing it we had to go back into the meeting hall. Fellen and I sat together as our mentors and their friends spun and stepped through the formation dances. It looked fun and intricate, and part of me wanted my body to hurry and recover so that I could join them.